Wanderful
by MidnightMarauding
Summary: A series of one shots set in the Harry Potter universe. From witches and wizards to dragons and beasts, it's all here.
1. Contents Page

Hello and welcome to Wanderful, a book of Harry Potter one shots. I have included a contents page so that you can skip to what interests you (although feel free to read it all if you want). These one shots are inspired by the Golden Snitch forum so go take a look. I am using a random number generator to choose which wand I should make next, so not even I know where this will go. I will start this as a NaNoWriMo project, but will definitely continue well past the end of November 2018.

Until next time, mischief managed.

 **Wand 1) Aspen with Rougarou hair, eight and three quarter inches**

1.1) Ancient Treasures

Bill Weasley and two goblin companions enter a recently discovered pyramid. They risk a painful death in their quest to find the treasure chamber.

1.2) Gellert

We all know that Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald were close when they were younger. When confined to his room after his expulsion, Gellert receives a letter from Albus.

1.3) Of Charms and Chasers

Alicia Spinnet's first day of her third year.


	2. 1(1): Ancient Treasures

The candle flickered in the half light of the pyramid entrance. A cold wind of long forgotten words and ancient memories blew up the stone passageway that lay ahead. Bill Weasley shielded his eyes from the cloud of silvery grey sand and dust covering the white limestone floor as the goblin ahead of him poked at a crack in the wall ahead. He held the flame up against the wall, looking at the red and blue warning carved in hieroglyphic runes and found himself wishing he could have more light. But with unknown curses protecting the long dead wizard, magic and larger flames would mean risking his life and those of his companions.

He ran his fingers over the fading shapes and took in a sharp breath, choking on the dust billowing around them. "Ragworth!" Bill coughed. "Stop." He gasped for breath, dust coating his throat and the inside of his mouth.

Ragworth turned around and passed back the flask of water in the cart next to him. Bill gulped it down gratefully, the dust dampening in his dry mouth. "Not that way. Traps." He glanced up worriedly at the red eye above the crack. "Not that way if you want to survive." He thirstily drank another mouthful of water as he glanced down at the sword. "You may want to drop that and back away now. Preferably quickly. Stay back, Verook. It's safer there. And you may want to crouch down. Just in case."

Ragworth took a few steps backwards, his hands still on his sword. "Not that way," said Bill. "A bit to your left, that's a good man. Now drop the sword and leap back as you do it." His eyes were wide as he muttered softly to himself. As much as Bill lived his job, sometimes the life-threatening danger got to him. He composed himself quickly and took another sip from the flask.

"But this was my father's sword. I can't lose it!" Ragworth glanced back and forth between the blade in his hand and the shape of Verook crouched behind a wall covered with intricate designs of animals and people. Of the gods.

"It's either that or lose your life. Your choice." Bill narrowed his eyes, nearly closing them. He sighed. He knew how much a goblin's sword meant to him. "I know it's hard, but you may want to decide quickly."

Conflicting emotions flickered across his dark eyes. He took in a deep breath and pushed off from the ground with his strong legs. The sword clanged on the dusty rock as he rolled his landing. There was the twanging of a papyrus string and the whizz of arrows overhead. Bill peered up and around the rock wall, staring through the new opening in the wall. He picked up a handful of dust and gently blew it forward. Ancient magic always left traces.

"That's all of that," he whispered, "but wait a moment before moving forward again." He picked up an arrowhead before looking at it closely. "Dipped in cobra venom. Glad none of us got pricked. Would have been a shame to have used our antidote this early on in our mission." He threw it towards the rock he had told Ragworth to avoid. There was a clatter, then silence. The trio let out the breath that none of them had realised they had been holding in.

"Looks like you were wrong, Mister Weasley. Don't worry, even the best of us can make mistakes," rasped Verook. His ancient fingers dropped the sand he had been desperately grasping.

There was a hissing sound as the sand by the rock started to slide downwards and away into a pit deep below. "Looks like the magic is slowly wearing off," said Bill. "That's good for us. Will make our job a bit easier." He pushed his sweaty hair out of his eyes and tucked it behind his ear. "Of course there is always the heat to contend with."

"You humans are weak," said Verook with a grin that showed his missing teeth. "If you think this is hot you should try going down to the Forges of Meroa where we make our finest weapons. That's where your blade comes from." He nodded at the dagger in Bill's belt.

"Well," Bill grinned, "you goblins can't put up with the cold very well."

"Nasty stuff the snow." Verook shuddered at the thought.

"Can we please go on?" asked Ragworth, his voice dripping with annoyance. "It's just that my son is due to be born in a few days and I would like to be there for the event."

"Of course, Ragworth. My apologies." Bill gave a slight bow. "Shall we continue?"

The goblins nodded, Ragworth shuffling forward to where his sword had been. He picked it up. "Slightly blackened but nothing that a little polish won't fix." He looked down at the blade lovingly. "My father really did a good job with this thing. With our jobs I'm surprised it lasted this long."

Bill grunted in acknowledgement as he ran his fingers over the symbols the arrow wall had been hiding. "Very good." He smiled down at the two goblins. "This is the tomb if a lesser court wizard. There won't be any powerful curses left on this one. The ones they put on these always fade with time. And that means..." He paused for effect. "I can use magic. Thank Merlin."

Bill ignored the frustrated groans and mumbles about wand laws from the goblins. He blew out the candle, leaving them in darkness for a moment. The glow of the rememants of ancient magic surrounded them. "Lumos," Bill muttered in a relieved voice. Light flooded through the cavern.

"Lead the way, Magic Man," mumbled Verook, his sword glinting in front of his nose.

The trio walked further into the tomb, Bill holding out the golden curse detector, pushing it out in front of his path, stopping whenever it flashed red and produced a higher pitched squeaking sound to indicate that it had detected something. As he had suspected, most of the magic had worn down during the years and had become weak. Even so, he had to pull back Verook when he nearly walked into a venom vapour chamber. There were always a few traps that stood the test of time.

"I think we must be getting close." Bill wrinkled his nose as he pushed his wand through yet another spiderweb. "Ron would definitely hate this job. Too many spiders for him down here." He smiled as he thought of his youngest brother. "He seems to like the tombs okay when the spiders aren't here though. Wish mum would have let him come in that last one. He would have enjoyed it. I completely understand why she didn't though. I need to bring him back some time so that he can see it now that he's a bit older. Remind me to owl him later. He should be getting his results soon and I would like to know how he did."

Ragworth gently stroked the flat face of his sword leaving markings in the dust and spiderwebs that coated it. "Soon I will meet my son. You are a good brother, Bill. Will you teach me the art so that I could be a good father?"

"Ragworth, being a father and being a brother are two completely different things, but of course I will teach you what I know about caring about family. Not that you need it of course. You will be a wonderful father. I know it. And you will make your family proud."

Ragworth brushed a grimy hand over his eyes and turned his back on his companions. They heard him mutter something about dust as they continued on their journey.

Metal glinted ahead and a rare smile found its way onto Verook's face. "I see our destination, comrades!" His muscles shifted as if to run.

"Verook! Don't you dare." Bill said hurriedly, his words merging into each other in their desparatation to leave his mouth. "You know that this area always has the most traps and curses. And these are made to withstand all time and force. Take it slowly. We will get there. Soon. But stay behind me. Do you want to see the treasure or not? Tread carefully from here on if you want to survive."

Verook readjusted his body to continue at a slower, more cautious pace. He held his sword ahead. It no longer glinted in the light of Bill's spell that that didn't mean that it would be any less useful in combat. "You're right. Lead the way."

Bill lifted his curse detector like a man running into battle lifts his sword. For they were indeed entering a battle. A battle with the wills of those long gone. With their minds and what they felt they had to protect with their hearts and souls. The real challenge, the reason why Bill lived his job so much, had yet to begin. And he was ready for it.

He trod carefully, the goblins following in the footprints he left in the dust. He stopped occasionally, extinguishing his spell to disarm some danger before lighting up the wide corridor again. The world was a show of lights, wandlight glittering off bits of ceremonial jewelry and precious stones, creating rainbows in the murky air. Bill took a last step and leaped, making a note in his leather bound book. The goblins threw him questioning looks.

"You may want to avoid that one. I've never seen that runic combination before although I do recognise the first set as a strip protection charm. I'll look it up when we get back to Gringotts and disarm it at a later stage. At times like this I almost wish I was still new at this so that I carried around my runic dictionary rather than just my logbook."

The goblins shrugged and jumped much further than their short frames should have allowed for, muscles rippling as they landed in two clouds of dust. "Where to now?"

"There. It's the entrance to the burial chamber. I wonder what secrets will be hurried with him. His knowledge had been sought after by the likes of Rowena Ravenclaw herself."

"Tell me, did he have much gold?" Verook asked, his dark eyes blinking away the bright light as Bill turned to face him.

"Possibly. Possibly. But the real treasure here is the knowledge that has been lost for many generations. Wizards and Muggles alike would kill for these priceless parchments."

"Indeed," said Verook a slightly embarrassed look crossing his face for only a moment, "but it's always nice to bring a little gold back to the bank." He tried to polish his sword with a piece of his grubby uniform, only succeeding in spreading the dirt around a bit.

Bill ignored him and breathed in the stench of dust, a smell he had become very familiar with over the years. Just beneath it lingered the sweet smell of parchment, the smell of knowledge. He walked towards the old clay box, running his curse detector over it. Satisfied, he gently placed it down on the ground. He lifted the lid. He smiled down at the sight. A sheath of parchments preserved through time with magic. He ran his fingers over the lines of carefully drawn symbols and smiled. This would be a fun challenge.

Bill waved his device over another box, peeping inside and closing it again. "Okay you two. Grab this box. It contains some gold. It should be enough to make the bank happy. I'll grab this one. It contains the true treasure hidden here." He glanced down at his watch. "We should probably head back out. We've been down here too long. They'll start worrying soon. I'll have a look at decifering that curse at the entrance to the treasure chamber and having some more goblins sent down to get the rest. But for now, it's time to go home and celebrate our success."


	3. 1 (2): Gellert

The young man smiled his toothy smile at the large eagle owl, bedraggled from the rain, on his windowsill. He recognised the bird to be Albus's. He thought back to the week they had spent together when he had visited his aunt at Godric's Hollow. Holding hands under the table. Quiet afternoons by the river. The hidden kisses. It had been the best week of his life and the my had been owling each other about their shared views ever since.

Gellert Grindelwald removed the parchment from the patient owl's leg. He pulled his dagger our of his robe pocket and slit the seal, pulling out the letter. He started to read, his smile lessening with every line. Albus was changing and he didn't like it.

Gellert-

Your point about wizard dominance being FOR THE MUGGLES' OWN GOOD - this, I think, is the crucial point. Yes, we have been given power and, yes, that power gives us the right to rule, but if also gives us responsibilities over the ruled. We must stress this point, it will be the foundation stone upon which we build. Where we are opposed, as we surely will be, this must be the basis of all our counter-arguments. We seize control FOR THE GREATER GOOD. And from this follows that where we meet resistance, we must use only the force that is necessary and no more. (This was your mistake at Durmstrang! But I do not complain, because if you had not been expelled, we would never have met.)

Albus

"Oh the fool!" Grindelwald muttered to himself, drawing patterns in the dust. "He's getting soft. I should have known better than think he was like me. That he truly wants to fix the problems of the world." He threw an ancient vase across the room, smashing it against his wardrobe. "The weak like him can never do what must be done. They want to save everyone. They don't seem to understand that some must die for the world to live. We must prune away the weeds so that the worth can flourish. Oh, Albus. If only I'd had more time with you. Maybe them you'd be on my side. You're too noble. You need to see the harshness that is reality. Hogwarts has sheltered you from the world..."

Gelert summoned a piece of parchment over to his desk and started to write down his reply, frowning as he did so. Albus has changed in the last month. Maybe he had to return to Godric's Hollow to remind him of their plans.

Albus

Yes, what we are doing is for their own good. But what you seem to have forgotten is that for the greater good we have to prune away the weak so that the strong may flourish. Those who oppose us will never understand. They believe that the good of each individual, specifically themselves, is more important than the good of the whole. You must learn not to shy away from using force to get what is right. How else would you expect to succeed? I would like to come visit you. These letters are not the same as talking in person. You have changed, Albus. I find myself missing the man I met. I would like to come visit you at the end of the month if you are agreeable. Only so much can be conveyed in a letter.

Gellert

As patient as it was, Albus's owl had left in a terrified flurry of feathers when he had throw the vase. He sighed and stalked over to his dresser where a large ornate owl cage stood. He opened the lock and reached his thin hand inside, pulling out the dark screech owl, its yellow eyes glowing. It had been a present from his father to congratulate him for getting into Durmstrang back when his parents had actually been proud of him. It took him back to a time before his expulsion. He had never wanted to disappoint his parents, but he had been tired of pretending to be someone he wasn't. He'd had enough of hiding in the shadows. He only wished that he'd stepped into the light of his destiny sooner. Then we would have been further along in his plans.

"I have a job for you, Lance, old boy." He petted his owl with a surprising tenderness for one who many had come to see as a demon. "Take this to Albus, will you? And apologise to his owl for me. I didn't mean to scare him off."

Lance have a mournful hoot before spreading his wings and soaring ouy of the window into the setting sun. Gellert was alone once more. Alone with his plotting mind. If only his parents had realised how dangerous that was, there may have been less bloodshed in the future.


	4. 1 (3): Of Charms and Chasers

Alicia reached out towards the piece of parchment Professor McGonagall gave her. She smiled. She was looking forward to the year. New subjects, more complex spells and Oliver Wood had approached her after the feast last night to tell her that she had been promoted from reserve to an official chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team since Maya had left at the end of last year. Her friends, Fred and George Weasley, had both thrown their arms around her shoulders, congratulating her enthusiastically. They now sat together at the breakfast table, Katie and Angelina sitting opposite them, talking animatedly about the quidditch strategies they had practiced during the hoidays. Alicia struggled to follow all the conversations going on around her. All her friends' voices fighting for dominance in her mind.

Fred smiled at his friend. "I see we're starting some time for our new subjects today. You looking forward to that?"

"Of course." Alicia smiled. "And double charms." She was grateful for the direct conversation, for someone for her focus to go.

"I'll never understand why you love that subject so much," George muttered. "Each to their own I guess. For Charlie it was Care of Magical Creatures and for Bill, for some reason, it was Ancient Runes. Can't believe he tried to convince me to take that subject.

"Personally I'm just looking forward to finally getting off the grounds and exploring Hogsmeade. We won't have to rely on mum for all our sweets any more and I've heard only good things about The Three Broomsticks."

"And, of course there's always the important task of replenishing our supplies of items of a delicate naturefrom Zonkos."

"Well, I'm sure Filch will be delighted." Alicia snorted. "I guess the three of you will be growing very close with all the extra detentions you'll be getting. Maybe you'll even be best friends by the end of the year."

"Alicia!" Examined Fred.

"You wound us," added George.

"Do you really think we'll let ourselves get caught?" Fred shovelled a mouthful of scrambled egg into his mouth. "Besides, if we do," he said with a cheeky glint in his eyes, "it'll be the three of us. We'll take you down with us!"

The Great Hall suddenly fell silent before being filled with excited whispers like the pages of a book caught in the wind. Everyone turned to look at the two skinny boys who had just walked in. The one was tall with red hair and the other, the one everyone was pointing at, short with black and freckles hair and glasses.

"Ah, good," said Fred. "Looks like little Ronnikens found his way to the Great Hall after all. Lucky for his classmates. Would've been a bad start if he'd had to go to his lessons on an empty stomach. He wouldn't have made any new friends then and we would have been burdened with him."

"Never mind your brother, Fred," said the fourth year sitting next to Katie. "That's Harry Potter himself! So pleased he's in Gryffindor! Can you imagine what the Slytherins would have been like if he'd gone there instead?"

"Of course he's in Gryffindor," said Oliver Wood quietly. "He's a Potter after all. And the chosen one. Why would he have gone to Slytherin if he's the one who's going to overpower you-know-who?"

There was a hushed squawk as the fourth year fell off his bench, his dirty blonde hair falling over his dark eyes.

"Montage." Wood looked straight at the Slytherin sitting across from him. "What do you want?" His eyes twitched slightly.

Montague grimaced and pulled back his broad shoulders, bringing his torso up to its full height. "Glad to see you haven't died, Woody. And congratulations on the promotion." He glanced down at the Quidditch Captain badge pinned to Oliver's robes. "I guess that no one else in this sad little house was good enough. No matter. That will only make it easier for us to win. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Charlie Weasley was your only decent player. Without him, you stand no chance."

"You hear that, Fred. George." Alicia's voice was steady and even. Only her fidgiting hands beneath the table gave away her nerves as she scrunched and unscrunched her robes. "A Slytherin, Montage no less, complimenting a Gryffindor. You'll have to tell Charlie about that. I'm sure he'd be honoured to hear that even the snakes admired his skill."

"Oh, you think you're so clever do you? Well, the snakes-"

"Is there a problem here?" Professor McGonagall stood behind Montage, her wand resting on her crossed arms. "I believe that will be ten points from Slytherin. Now return to your own table."

"But Professor," Montage started, "I only came here to talk about Quidditch."

"I'm sure you did. Now return to your own table." Professor McGonagall frogmarched Montague back to the Slytherin table. He hurried along to get further from the formidable figure of the Transfiguration professor. When he sat down again he shook his shoulders, glad to be free of her iron grip.

Fred laughed into his sleeve. "That was amazing! Did you see his face? That's exactly why we want you to help us out. You're smart and witty and you know how to wind up the Slytherins. We'll do our best to keep you out of trouble. Promise."

Both Fred and George held out their hands to her. "Do we have a deal?"

Alicia looked down at her plate and ate a bite of toast, choking as she tried to hold back a giggle at the sight of the twins holding out their arms with hopeful expressions on their faces. She put down her toast and exaggeratedly wiped her mouth, slowly placing the napkin back on the table. She sat staring straight in front of her, as of deep in thought before letting out a deep sigh.

"We have a deal," she said at last, holding out both her hands for the Weasley twins to shake.


End file.
